The article examines the interrelation between decentralization and glocalization processes in public administration as key drivers of the transformation of contemporary regional development models. It is argued that decentralization, while retaining its role as a fundamental institutional mechanism for the redistribution of powers and resources, is no longer limited to a purely administrative reform. Instead, it is increasingly embedded in broader governance transformations characterized by multi-level interaction among national, regional, and local actors. The study demonstrates that the expansion of governance practices, the emergence of network-based forms of interaction, and the growing impact of global factors necessitate a reconsideration of decentralization within a wider analytical framework. In this context, decentralization is interpreted not as an isolated process but as an integral component of complex structural changes in public administration. It has been proven that the interaction between decentralization and glocalization facilitates the transition from hierarchical to network-based models of public governance, in which coordination, partnership, and the integration of different levels of government play a key role. The expediency of developing new models of regional development based on the combination of local resources with global opportunities, innovation, openness, and resilience to external challenges has been substantiated. It has been established that their effectiveness depends on the ability of territories to engage in strategic planning, attract investment, develop human capital, and implement modern management tools. It is concluded that the effectiveness of such models depends on the ability of regions to strengthen institutional capacity, enhance strategic planning, attract investment, and implement modern governance tools. The findings highlight the importance of aligning governance approaches across different levels and developing new mechanisms of interaction that ensure both global integration and the preservation of regional specificity.

Relevance. Competitiveness is a fundamental condition for the development of food industry enterprises in the context of crisis and external challenges. Because in conditions of uncertainty, the formation of competitive advantages allow to consolidate the position in the market, accelerate the pace of development of enterprises and achieve a sustainable situation. In conditions of sanctions pressure, growing competition from foreign producers and their activity on the Russian market, the issue of ensuring the competitiveness of domestic food industry enterprises becomes a primary and relevant task at both macro-, meso- and micro levels. Therefore, there is a need to develop a strategy and tactical tools that help increase the competitive position of domestic producers in the food industry and achieve the sustainable position of such enterprises both on the domestic and foreign markets. The purpose of the study is to strategies and develop a universal tactical plan in the form of a roadmap aimed at ensuring the competitiveness of food industry enterprises in the Russian Federation in conditions of uncertainty. Objectives: the study has set and consistently solved the following tasks: to determine the characteristics of ensuring the competitiveness of enterprises in the food industry, to identify problems, to analyze ways of providing competitive advantages for enterprises in the food sector, develop a strategy and tactical tools to ensure the competitive advantage of enterprises engaged in food production in times of crisis and external challenges. Methodology. The paper uses a theoretical review of domestic and foreign authors concerned with ensuring competitiveness in food production. Special methods were used in the study: modelling and case studies. Results. Based on the conducted research, a strategy was defined and a universal tactical tool in the format roadmap was developed is necessary to ensure the competitiveness of food processing enterprises suitable for both producers of food products with a long shelf life and producers of perishable products. Conclusions. The study concluded that the choice of strategy and development of tactical tools allows to increase the competitive position of domestic food producers and maintain their stable position in the market under conditions of economic instability and external challenges.

The relevance of a study of intergenerational solidarity in the Russian university community stems from a set of multiple external and internal challenges. These challenges include a structural staffing crisis, digital transformation that deepens generational gaps, and intensive institutional reforms that generate value conflicts. This article aims to explore the current state of intergenerational relations in academia and to identify factors that foster solidarity and provoke conflict. The author uses the qualitative sociological research based on 41 semi-structured interviews with representatives of universities in the Ural Federal District as the leading method. The analysis of research data applies an adapted six-parameter model developed by Bengtson and Joshi. The key results show that intergenerational relations do not fit a “conflict — solidarity” dichotomy. Instead, they reflect an intermediate condition of disagreement and parallel coexistence. The results indicate that relatively stable functional solidarity (effective cooperation in grant-funded projects) acts as a consolidating factor. At the same time, a deficit of consensual solidarity (value gaps between generations) and a weakening of everyday structural and associative ties become the foundation for latent conflict. The practical significance of this article consists in to justify the necessity of targeted management decisions, including the creation of dialogue platforms and the development of mentoring programs, to bridge these gaps and strengthen consolidation within the university community.

Introduction Relocated farmers in underdeveloped mountain areas face multiple livelihood constraints, making it difficult for them to cope with external risks and challenges. Enhancing the livelihood resilience of these households is essential for achieving stable development and common prosperity in resettlement areas. Methods This study focuses on farmers relocated due to poverty alleviation programs in Guizhou Province. A three-dimensional evaluation framework, comprising buffering capacity, self-organizing capacity, and learning capacity, was developed to assess livelihood resilience. Principal component analysis (PCA) and the TOPSIS model were employed for quantitative measurement. The barrier degree model and geodetector model were used to identify key constraints and core drivers of livelihood resilience. Results The findings indicate that: (1) Over 80% of relocated farming households exhibit medium-to-high livelihood resilience, with only a small proportion showing low resilience. (2) county town resettlement shows significantly higher resilience than town resettlement or central village resettlement. (3) The primary constraints limiting livelihood resilience are housing area, arable land area, and labor force size. (4) A key driver of enhanced livelihood resilience is the synergistic interaction between household income and the social environment of the community. Discussion Relocated farmers have largely achieved livelihood transformation. This study provides a theoretical basis for identifying development bottlenecks and offers insights for optimizing support policies in resettlement areas.

ABSTRACT This article critically examines UNESCO’s engagement in the global governance of artificial intelligence in education (AIED). Through a structured website mapping and a qualitative document analysis of key documents published between 2019 and 2025, the paper shows how UNESCO constructs AI as an object of educational policy, articulates normative frameworks, and positions itself as the leading actor in shaping the governance of AI in educational systems. Drawing from interdisciplinary debates on legitimacy, norm diffusion, AI ethics and global governance, this paper analyses the ways in which UNESCO negotiates internal and external dilemmas and challenges. The analysis shows that while UNESCO’s discourse champions human rights, ethics, and inclusion, it also reveals underlying tensions, discrepancies as well as oscillating discourses of slow ‘ethics’ vs rapid ‘transformation’. We argue that the ambivalences and tensions that emerge are not only by-products of ‘bureaucratic pathologies’ but also strategies that UNESCO adopts in order to reassert its legitimacy in the global governance of education and respond to contradictory demands among normative commitments, the national priorities of Member States, and agendas of Big Tech.

Qualitative case study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with seven Malaysian experts to explore the principles, practices, and contemporary challenges of the Islamic work ethic in organizations. The Islamic work ethic is rooted in tawhid, which emphasizes work as worship (ibadah) and as a sacred trust (amanah) for which every human is accountable. Practically manifested through professionalism, integrity, trustworthiness (amanah), benevolence (ihsan), precision (itqan), and its practice faces internal and external challenges. Consequently, the appreciation of Islamic values and their deep embedding in an organizational work culture can strengthen governance, integrity, and the effectiveness and sustainability of an organization's performance.

The article is devoted to the study of exogenous and endogenous factors of resilience of the regional economic system. It is emphasized that under conditions of global crises, regional economic systems must demonstrate a high level of adaptability, flexibility, and the capacity for rapid recovery after external and internal shocks. A number of exogenous and endogenous factors of resilience of the regional economic system are identified, and the endogenous and exogenous capacities of the region are examined.It is noted that the endogenous capacity of a region is the ability of the regional economic system to ensure its development through internal resources and potential. It is determined that exogenous capacity is the ability of the regional economic system to effectively respond to external influences and challenges and to utilize external opportunities in order to ensure the economic development, stability, and adaptation of the region. A clustering of the regions of Ukraine according to indicators characterizing the resilience of the economic system is carried out.

The young women’s organization “X” focuses on issues of gender equality, religion, society, and culture. Leadership plays a crucial role in ensuring the organization’s sustainability amid various internal and external challenges. This study aims to explore the practice of ethical leadership within Organization X in Jember Regency. A mixed-methods approach with a sequential explanatory design was employed. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires containing open-ended questions to obtain an initial overview of the phenomenon, followed by qualitative data collection through in-depth interviews to deepen and clarify the findings. The participants in this study were branch-level leaders of Organization X. The findings indicate that leaders in Organization X are expected to consistently serve as moral role models, demonstrating alignment between their words and actions as representatives of the organization’s core values. In the dimension of care for others, leadership is perceived as a participatory process that actively involves members in decision-making and the implementation of organizational programs, reflecting principles of deliberation and empowerment. Meanwhile, in the dimension of accountability and compliance, leaders are required to adhere not only to organizational regulations but also to prevailing social norms within the broader community. These findings suggest that despite its strong and firm ideological foundation, Organization X demonstrates contextual flexibility in social engagement as part of its da‘wah strategy.

Ensuring business competitiveness in the face of turbulence and digitalisation requires rethinking traditional strategic management. Sustainable development serves as the conceptual foundation for building strategic resilience, combining economic efficiency, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability. The purpose of the study was to substantiate strategic approaches to ensuring business competitiveness in conditions of turbulence and digitalisation of the external environment based on the principles of sustainable development. The study was theoretical and conceptual in nature. It applied methods of conceptual modelling and analytical formalisation, which created prerequisites for further empirical verification of the proposed provisions. Contemporary scientific approaches to interpreting the relationship between sustainable development, digitalisation, and business competitiveness were summarised, and the impact of turbulence on the transformation of business models and management processes was analysed. The paper substantiated the change in the role of digital technologies in the strategic management system, which was manifested in the transition from fragmented use of digital tools to their comprehensive integration into the strategies of sustainable development and adaptation of enterprises. A conceptual model for ensuring business competitiveness was proposed, which reflected the logic of interaction between external challenges of a turbulent environment, strategic tools for sustainable development, digital management decisions, and mechanisms of organisational adaptation. The analytical relationship between the key processes of the model was formulated, which allowed substantiating hypotheses about strengthening the competitive position of business in conditions of a high level of digital maturity and integration of ESG approaches into strategic management. The practical significance of the results obtained lies in the possibility of their application in the process of strategic planning, development of sustainable development programmes, and implementation of digital business transformation strategies in conditions of increased uncertainty

Diversity on biomedical research teams may lead to higher quality research, but some groups remain under-represented (UR) on research teams. Evaluating the challenges that UR scholars in the health sciences face could inform policies that institutions could take to recruit and retain UR scholars. We used a large qualitative dataset to examine challenges in pursuing and persisting in research careers among UR postdoctoral and early-career faculty scholars participating in a randomized controlled trial. We conducted 78 individual qualitative interviews. Most participants held MDs or PhDs and were Black, Hispanic, or biracial. Interviews used a semi-structured guide and were audio-recorded and transcribed. A team of investigators developed an initial codebook based on a subset of interviews, which was iteratively revised by the team. After a final codebook was agreed upon, codes were assigned to all data. Codes were grouped into themes and sub-themes, which were discussed by the team. We present key themes and illustrative quotes. Career challenges reported by UR scholars came from the culture of academia as well as from external factors. Academia culture challenges included demand for productivity and funding, bias and racism, competition and hierarchy, and the "secret rules" to the system. External challenges included financial stress, being an immigrant, and family demands. Responses to challenges could be positive, including making a career pivot, building resilience, finding one's community, or finding one's passion. Negative consequences to challenges included burnout, imposter syndrome, and low belongingness. Challenges faced by UR scholars can be both internal and external to the academy and can induce negative consequences among UR scholars, but some scholars also build resilience and find passion in the face of these challenges. Efforts to improve the culture of academia and to foster positive mentoring could help retain UR scholars in biomedical science.

Impacts of reproductive state and social environment on glucocorticoid concentrations in female Rwenzori Angolan colobus monkeys (Colobus angolensis ruwenzorii).

Understanding flow experiences in online EFL learning: Perspectives from Vietnamese undergraduates.

PURPOSE Focusing on integrating people-centred principles into Construction 5.0 aims to enhance collaboration and sustainability within the construction industry, ultimately improving overall project outcomes and stakeholder satisfaction. DESIGN / METHODOLOGY / APPROACH The study, through bibliometric analysis embedded in the Scopus database, coupled with the use of keywords such as “collaborative,” AND “sustainability,” AND “construction,” AND “principles”, and the use of VOSviewer to generate occurrence maps, 49 papers were exported. FINDINGS Show that digital technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), drones, wearable devices, and IoT significantly enhance communication, safety, and decision-making in people-focused construction. Additionally, the study highlighted the importance of active stakeholder involvement, including clients, workers, government bodies, and local communities, in shaping inclusive and human-focused construction practices. VALUE It contributes to the construction industry by emphasising the importance of prioritising human-centric approaches in project planning and execution, thereby fostering a more sustainable and socially responsible built environment. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS Adopting people-centred principles in Construction 5.0 can lead to more efficient project delivery, improved stakeholder relations, and greater resilience to external challenges such as economic downturns or resource scarcity. RESEARCH LIMITATION It included the generalisability of findings across diverse construction contexts and the inherent subjectivity in assessing the impact of human-centric approaches.

The article reveals the key theoretical and methodological principles of managing vocational education institutions in the context of significant changes in the educational environment caused by the integration of digital technologies, dynamic labor market needs, and social transformations. The systemic challenges facing the administrative structures of vocational education institutions are analyzed, in particular, the issues of adapting internal management practices to new standards of pedagogical activity, ensuring the quality of educational services, and forming the ability for strategic development. The purpose of the presented work is to determine the features of modern approaches to managing vocational education institutions in the context of the transformation of the educational environment. The study analyzes modern management practices aimed at ensuring the quality of vocational training, effective interaction with employers, developing human resources, and integrating digital tools into management processes. The feasibility of using strategic, process, and partnership approaches to management as such, which allow vocational education institutions to respond promptly to external challenges and internal changes, is substantiated. The methodological basis of the article is a combination of analysis of scientific sources, generalization of practical experience in the management of educational institutions and systematization of modern approaches to the organization of educational activities. As a result, practical guidelines for improving management decisions in vocational education institutions are formulated, taking into account the conditions of transformation of the educational environment. The conclusions obtained can be used in the management activities of heads of educational institutions, in the process of developing educational strategies and training managerial personnel.

ABSTRACT This article analyzes how biographical narratives of Kazakh statehood in school history textbooks function as mechanisms of ontological security. Grounded in ontological security theory, the study combines discourse analysis of textbooks with semi-structured interviews with experts and textbook authors. It identifies three narrative constructions that reproduce continuity and historical depth. The article argues that in response to recognition denial and external challenges, these narratives operate as state-led efforts to stabilize national identity through claims of uninterrupted statehood. The study contributes to debates on identity, narrative, and security in post-Soviet international relations.

A characteristic feature of the period from 2014 to the present has been a consistent deterioration of the external conditions for Russia’s socioeconomic development due to anti-Russian sanctions imposed by unfriendly states, as well as declining global economic stability. Under these conditions, the role of the federal budget and fiscal policy as factors in the country’s socioeconomic development is increasing. This article provides a compre­hensive analysis of the evolution of Russia’s fiscal policy during the period of structural transformations caused by successive waves of international sanctions (since 2014), the COVID-19 pandemic, and the emergence of a new geopolitical reality. The objective of the study is to identify and systematize the key trends in the transformation of Russia’s fiscal policy from 2014 to 2027, assess its effectiveness as a tool for adapting to external challenges, and formulate promising areas for development. The study covers the period from 2014 to 2027 and identifies key adaptation mechanisms and strategic priorities. The methodo­logical framework is based on a comparative analysis, generalization, and formalization of data on federal budget execution and the dynamics of macroeconomic indicators. The theo­retical and methodological foundation of the study is formed by the works of domestic and international researchers on the socioeconomic development of the state and the role of the state budget. The results indicate a paradigm shift in fiscal policy: from a policy of stabiliza­tion and reserve accumulation in response to the shocks of 2014–2016 to a policy of active­ly stimulating structural restructuring of the economy and technological sovereignty after 2022. Key trends have been identified: a shift in focus to non-resource revenues, outpacing growth in defense and social spending, the introduction of progressive taxation elements, and an expanded horizon for strategic budget planning. The article assesses the risks asso­ciated with persistently high inflation and growing debt burden and formulates recommen­dations for increasing the flexibility and effectiveness of fiscal policy in an environment of permanent uncertainty.

Suicide remains a public health problem among active duty service members (ADSM). Entrapment, defined as the failed escape from personal (internal) and environmental (external) challenges, and firearms are documented suicide risk factors. However, they have yet to be studied together. The present study had two aims: (1) to examine the direct and interactive effects of entrapment and firearm ownership on suicidal ideation and attempt likelihood, and (2) to explore firearm ownership motivations and storage practices. Participants were ADSM (N = 120) at an outpatient military substance use treatment facility. ADSM completed a questionnaire battery comprising measures of suicidal thinking and behavior, firearm ownership and storage practices, and suicide risk factors. Demographic information was extracted from electronic health records. External entrapment was positively associated with suicidal thinking. Firearm ownership moderated this finding, such that owning a firearm was associated with an unexpected buffering effect on the external entrapment-suicidal ideation link. Among firearm owners, motivations were home protection (93.54%), hunting/sport/hobby (72.6%), other reasons (e.g., training; 14.5%), and for work (6.4%). Firearm owners stored their firearms: locked and unloaded (48.2%), unlocked and loaded (27.4%), locked and loaded (21.0%), and unlocked and unloaded (19.4%). External entrapment appears to be important and uniquely experienced among ADSM. Findings extend the Integrated Motivational-Volitional Model of Suicide, and offer indirect support for the Coping Model of Protective Gun Ownership Protective. Findings may inform the need for nuanced lethal means reduction, such as discussion of safe firearm storage practices, discussing the role of entrapment, and identifying coping skills that may replace personal firearms.

Public libraries play a vital role in providing equitable access to knowledge, fostering literacy, and promoting lifelong learning in communities. However, in the rapidly changing digital era, these institutions face numerous challenges that affect their growth and sustainability. The present study aims to conduct a comprehensive SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of public libraries to evaluate their internal capabilities and external challenges. A mixed-method research design was adopted, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with librarians and users from selected public libraries. The analysis revealed that libraries possess significant strengths, including accessibility, trained staff, and community trust, but face major weaknesses such as inadequate funding, limited technological infrastructure, and low awareness of services. The study identified opportunities in digital transformation,community partnerships, and policy support, while major threats included budget constraints, competition from digital platforms, and changing user preferences. The findings suggest that strategic planning, enhanced digital literacy, staff training, and sustainable funding are crucial for improving library performance and relevance. The study contributes to the understanding of how SWOT analysis can guide policy formulation and strategic decision-making for the futuredevelopment of public libraries. Keywords:Public Libraries, SWOT Analysis, Library Management, Strategic Planning, Digital Transformation.

Aim of this study is to validate with an external independent cohort of patients previously published Normal Tissue Complication Probability (NTCP) models for radiation-related toxicity in head and neck cancer patients treated with curative radiotherapy (± associated systemic treatments). Patients treated from 2010 to 2022 at IEO were retrospectively reviewed. Five NTCP models for the following endpoints were evaluated: I) physician-rated swallowing dysfunction grade (G) 2-4, 6 months after RT; II) tube-feeding dependence (TFD) 6months after RT; III) acute oral mucositis (OM) G ≥ 3 at any time during RT; IV) OM during RT treatment, mean G ≥ 1.5; V) G ≥ 2 laryngeal edema within 15months from RT. External validation of the selected models on our cohorts was assessed evaluating the discriminating ability (in terms of Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUC), Brier score) and the calibration (in terms of calibration intercept, calibration slope, and finally through the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test). A total of 97 patients met the inclusion criteria for dysphagia (5% events); 88 patients for TFD (3% events); 113 patients for OM G ≥ 3 (42% events); 114 patients for OM mean G ≥ 1.5 (63% events) and 102 patients for G ≥ 2 laryngeal edema (21% events). For all considered endpoints and all the considered models, the calculated NTCP was higher for patients who reported the corresponding toxicities, despite the difference was statistically significant for laryngeal edema only. Best-performing models were TFD (AUC = 0.73, CI: 0.24 - 1.22) and physician-rated swallowing dysfunction (AUC = 0.68, CI: 0.52 - 0.85), even if in both cases the low number of events influences the precision of the estimate, resulting in wide confidence intervals. Overall, results retrieved from our analysis confirm that NTCP model can be applied in populations with characteristics similar to those of the training cohorts. Nevertheless, our data also confirmed that external validation remains a challenge in particular when the numbers of events are low and patients' characteristics between the training and validating cohorts are different.

The current stage of development of the Russian economy is characterized by an active increase in the pace of digitalization, considering the strategic goal of achieving scientific and technological sovereignty, which implies the use of AI and robotization in industrial enterprises to ensure the production of high-tech products and competitiveness in the global arena. The article discusses the latest AI and robotization technologies at large industrial enterprises, analyzes the pace of digital technology adoption, the need to introduce an organization for digital technology transfer and information security, and determines the prospects for the use of digital technologies at Russian industrial enterprises, considering external threats and challenges.